Josh Wink - Balls

Josh Wink - Balls
It seems fatherhood has given Josh Wink time to reflect on his 20-odd year career. And it seems that he's decided it's time, with "Balls," to revisit the formula that served his early productions so well. The lead mix certainly stands out from much of what's out there. It's a breakneck, all guns blazing assault.

The track is so named, says Wink, because you have to have them to play it. The original mix of "Balls" is raw and uncompromising, rattling along at a terrifying pace, the pressure building at every turn. Already a purveyor—with the likes of "Higher State" and "I'm Ready"—of some of the most audacious breakdowns in history, Wink adds "Balls" to his collection. Here it begins around the midway point, drums and acid squiggles having been quiet for two minutes. Spacey clacks ping across the space, increasing in intensity before everything returns at a more frantic pace then… whoosh, we're in Wink hyperspace. It's hard to imagine anyone else pulling it off with such chutzpah.

The two alternative mixes aren't wildly different, except they dispense with the monstrous breakdown. The "Synth Louder" version has more widespread appeal thanks to its use of synth washes. As you might guess, these are missing from the "No Synth" mix. The almost militaristic tone of the whipcracking snares is this version's most striking aspect.

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